Part 30

First successful man-carrying aeroplane. Designed by Dr. Langley in 1898; flown by Glenn H. Curtiss at Hammondsport, N. Y., 1914.]

While longer flights probably will be made with this machine none will attain greater importance, because this first flight with it was sufficient to establish for all time the fact that Dr. Langley built the first man-carrying machine equipped with a gasoline engine and able to fly and raise itself with its own power. This was considerably more than was accomplished by other machines for some time after Dr. Langley’s death. The Langley machine not only lifted the weight it was designed to fly with, but also carried pontoon and other fittings, added by Mr. Curtiss to make flight from the water possible, which added 340 pounds to the original weight of the machine.

Copy of early Langley model with which Bleriot made first circular flight in Europe.]

The connection between Dr. Langley’s work and present machines is now very easy to trace, though not obvious until 1911, when the Smithsonian Institution published memoirs written by Dr. Langley in 1897, and some memoirs of Mr. Octave Chanute, a French engineer who resided in Chicago, and who forms one of the main connecting links. The chain is practically completed by notes left by the late Lieut. Thomas Selfridge, U. S. A., America’s first martyr to aviation.

Dr. Langley’s knowledge is represented in modern aviation by three distinct lines. The central and most direct line is through Dr. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, to the Aerial Experiment Association, and thence to Mr. Glenn H. Curtiss, and finds its expression in what is known as the Curtiss type of machines.

Another line is that carried by a Mr. A. M. Herring to Mr. Chanute and by him transmitted to Mr. Wilbur Wright, finding expression in the Wright type of biplane.

The third line is that leading to the modern monoplane school; M. Bleriot having first copied in toto the tandem monoplane form, generally known as the Langley type, and later, with the development of better gasoline engines, developing into the monoplane as known today.

With the exception of M. Bleriot it is doubtful if the others fully realized the source of their inspiration,--not to call it information.

Dr. Bell was interested in Dr. Langley’s work for more than ten years before Dr. Langley gave up. He observed many of the trials, and his reports of the first successful flights are incorporated in the official publications of the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Bell began some independent experiments, but following Dr. Langley’s death he formed the Aerial Experiment Association, to carry on the work left by Dr. Langley. The members of this organization were, Mr. Curtiss, at that time the most successful builder of light motors; Lieut. Thomas H. Selfridge, U. S. A.; Mr. J. A. D. McCurdy and Mr. F. W. Baldwin, two young Canadian engineers. Mrs. Bell financed the project, furnishing the sum of $35,000 for the experiments.

~WHAT TWO BROTHERS ACCOMPLISHED FOR FLYING~

The Wright Brothers, for Wilbur Wright was joined by his brother Orville in the experiments, were the first to reap success from the seeds of Dr. Langley’s sowing. Mr. Chanute had been experimenting with a biplane form of motorless glider with little success, because of lack of means for balancing the machines in the air, until he was joined by a former employe of Dr. Langley. He appears to have imparted to Mr. Chanute the secret of the stabilizing effect of the Penaud tail, or combination of vertical and horizontal rudders. Thereafter hundreds of successful gliding flights were made with the Chanute biplane, though Chanute seems not to have grasped the full significance of the rudders,--though it was well understood by Dr. Langley. To the Chanute machine, as described to him, Mr. Wright added first the idea of flexing or warping the wings, after the fashion set by the Lilienthals. He found, however, as Dr. Langley had found years before, that in attempting to correct lateral balance in this way caused the aeroplane to swerve to such an extent that the fixed vertical rudder, as originally employed, did not correct the upsetting tendency that was developed. Mr. Wright then arranged his rudder in such a way that when the wing was warped the rudder turned in a way to offset the swerve. This combination was patented all over the world and has resulted in much complicated litigation.

To this machine the Wright Brothers added a gasoline motor in December, 1903, and with it made numerous flights during 1904-5. Their claims were not generally credited however until a later date for their experiments had been conducted with considerable secrecy, and during 1906, 1907 and until late in 1908 they did no more flying.

In the meantime M. Bleriot had made a copy of one of the early Langley tandem monoplane models and made some fairly successful flights with it in Europe. Later, as gasoline motors developed in power for weight, he reduced the rear surface until the modern monoplane evolved.

While Bleriot was working in Europe, Dr. Bell’s Aerial Experiment Association in America was evolving still another type of machine, and the members of the association made the first successful public flights in America. Mr. Curtiss won the Scientific American Trophy for the first time on July 4th, 1908, by a straightaway flight of more than a kilometer. The balancing system employed by the A. E. A. differed from that employed by the Wrights and by Bleriot in that small auxiliary planes took the place of warping planes for righting the machine. This they claimed to be a superior method, first, because it eliminated the use of the rudder as being absolutely essential to the balance of the machine; second, because it enabled them to make the main planes rigid throughout, and consequently stronger than the flexible planes.

There are several other names that must be mentioned in connection with the early history of successful flight; these are the Frenchmen, Messrs. Henri Farman, Maurice Farman, the brothers Voisin, and Santos Dumont. These produced some of the first notably successful aeroplanes in Europe but seem to have discovered nothing which has had any marked effect upon the later development of flying machines. M. Farman adopted the auxiliary planes used by the A. E. A. and modified them to suit his ideas.

~WONDERFUL RECORDS OF AEROPLANES~

Volumes could be, in fact, have been written about the exploits of the first demonstrators of the practical heavier-than-air flying machines,--of the crossing of the English Channel by Bleriot, of the flights by Wilbur Wright at Rheims, France; of Mr. Curtiss’ winning of the first Gordon Bennet International speed trophy and his flight down the Hudson from Albany to New York; of Orville Wright’s flight at Fort Meyer, and the death of Lieut. Selfridge who was flying with him. The barest record of these interesting accomplishments would fill volumes. Of the aeroplane proper it is enough to say here that since 1908 its development has been too rapid for accurate recording. In strength, in speed, in reliability, in size and carrying capacity, it has developed at a remarkable rate. At this writing the speed record is about 130 miles per hour; the duration record is more than 24 hours, non-stop; the distance record is some 1,300 miles in one day; the altitude record some 26,000 feet. New records succeed the old ones with such rapidity that probably before this can be printed all these present records will have been greatly eclipsed.

AEROPLANE “RED WING” HAMMONDSPORT, N.Y.

FIRST AMERICAN PUBLIC FLIGHT, MAR 12 1908]

Meantime the aeroplane has developed greatly in other directions. In flying over land with the early types of machines many fatal accidents occurred, particularly to the fliers who gave exhibitions everywhere during 1909, 1910 and 1911. A majority of these accidents were indirectly due to the fact that a very smooth surface is required for landing a fragile machine running at high speed. The obvious expedient was to develop machines capable of rising from and alighting upon the water.

A modern German monoplane.]

~THE WONDERFUL FLYING BOAT~

During the winter of 1910 and 1911 Mr. Curtiss, who had continued independent experiments upon the disbandment of the Aerial Experiment Association, succeeded in producing the first machine to safely leave and return to the water. For the development and demonstration of this type of flying machine he was awarded the Aero Club of America Trophy, and when during 1912 he produced still another type of water flying machine, the Curtiss Flying Boat, he was again awarded the Aero Club Trophy and also voted a Langley Medal by the directors of the Smithsonian Institution.

Not until the development of the flying boat did the general public begin to take a participative interest in aviation, but as soon as the comparative safety of this type of machine became apparent the new sport began to be taken up rapidly both in this country and in Europe. The experiences of naval fliers and amateurs alike went to show that water flying offered not only the fastest and most comfortable mode of rapid travel, but also the safest, for during 1913 several hundred thousand miles were flown by navy aviators and amateur enthusiasts in Curtiss water flying machines without a single serious accident.

What aviation will mean to future generations,--even to this generation in the course of a few years,--it would be foolhardy to try to guess. Mr. Rodman Wanamaker already has agreed to furnish the financial support for Mr. Curtiss’ attempt to build a machine to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, from America to Europe. If the venture is successful it is expected the crossing will be made in a fraction of the time taken by the fastest Transatlantic liners. The discovery of new metals and new manufacturing methods will certainly result in the development of light motors that may be relied upon to run for days without stopping, and automatically stable aeroplanes seem to be not far away. This will result in overland flight as safe and sure as we now enjoy over water.

Interior arrangement of modern flying boat, showing fuel tank and instrument board.]

Flying at speed of a mile a minute.]

~GREATEST PRESENT VALUE OF AEROPLANE~